Electrical cord extension device



Feb. 15, 193s. J, W JOHNSON 2,108,170

ELCTRICAL C ORD XTENS ION DEVICE Inventor V Attorney Feb. l5, 1938. J. w. JOHNSON ELECTRICAL CORD EXTENSION DEVICE Filed Feb. ll, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet `2 [nnen/m' By W florney Patented Feb. 15, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT.0Fr1cE John w. Jamison, si, Maries, Idaho y Application February 11, 1936, serial No. 63,387

In carrying out my invention I provide an automatically operating take-up device which controls two cords or electric cables, one extending from `sion device, and the other cord extending from the extension device to the electrical appliance, l as for instance, an electrically heated iron.

The extension device is portable and it is equipped with attaching means whereby the device may with facility and convenience be attached to the edge of a table or to the edge of 4an ironing board in desired position for use, and the device may with equalfacili'ty quickly be detached when not required for use.

The extension device is adapted for various uses, as for instance with electrically heated coiee percolators, toasters, etc., and it is particularly desirable for use on ironing boards to take up slack in the cord as the iron is being moved back and'forth during the operations of ironing.

Electrical connections are providedwhereby a y tracted, thus permitting the electrical appliance to I which a cord is connected, to be moved to desired position, and yet maintain theecord in taut or unslacked condition. v l AIn the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two examples of the physical embodiment of my invention, wherein parts are combined and arranged according to the best modes I have thus fardevised for the practical application of the principles of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made 4in these exemplifying structures within the scope of my claims, Without departing from the principles of my invention. n Figure 1 is a perspective view of the portable extension device illustrating the manner of attaching it to a table edge or an ironing board.

-Figure: 2 is a vertical sectionalview of the de- .vice, as at line 2-2 of Figure 3.

the Wall socket or plug connection to the exten.v

(ci. 17e-3er) Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the `device as at lineA3-3 of Figure 2.

FlgureA is a transverse sectional detail view of one of the reels or drums,as at line 4--4'of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing in detail one of the electrical connections between two reels or drums.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view at line 6--6 of Figure '7 of a non-portable device, or a wall fixture. Y

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a wall fixture embodying my invention, and Figure 8 is' a perspec-V tive view of the face plate for the wall ilxture.

l Figure 9 is a sectional view with parts in dotted lines showing the electrical connections, including the housewiring for the wall fixture.'

In Figure 1, where the extension dev'ice is shown attached to the edge of an ironing board B, the operating parts are enclosed within a housing H, and the housing is provided with a clamp I, pivoted in bearings 2 on the brackets 3 that are rigid with the housing, and a spring 4 is interposed between the clamp and a handle H' of the housing. Thus, with the thumb on the handle H' and the iinger beneath the rear end of the clamp I,.the latter may be 'spread to slip under released, the clamp l iirmly holds the device -in position for use.

` The cords 5 and 6 are preferably of the at, rubber covered type, enclosing two wires, and the cord 5 is equipped with a conventional type of plug or connector P for attachment to an outlet or wallsocket. Cord 5 enters the housing through a slot S and the cord 6, which extends to the electrical appliance, as for instance, an electrically heated iron, also enters the housing H through a similar slot S. l

Cord 5 is wound upon a rotary reel l, which is `loosely mounted upon a shaft 8, and a spring 9 enclosed within the central hollow hub portion of the reel, has one end attached to the reel and its other. end attached to the shaft, in orderthat the cord 5 may automatically be wound, by the spring, on the reel in anti-clockwise manner.

Cord 6, extending to the iron, is automatically wound, clockwise on the reel I0 by the spring l I, the ends of the spring being attached to the reel and the shaft 8 to accomplish this purpose.

The two wires of each cord 5 and 6 are atftached, each pair, to a terminal block as I2 on reel l and I3 on reel Ill, and these blocks are inset in the reels and fastened thereto, not only for the purpose of anchoring or attaching the the board B, and vwhen the thumb and finger are cords, but also for distribution of the electrical currents in the wires of the cords.

The shaft 8, on which thereels are mounted through the instrumentality of their springs, is mounted in bearing supports I4 of the frame I5, and the frame is enclosed within the housing H and secured iirmly thereto by screws as |5a. Thus, the housing forms a removable part of the device to enclose the operating parts and to guide the cords as they are Wound or unwound, and the frame also has an arcuate shaped guide plate I4a adjacent to the lower portion of the reels for guiding the cords, and preventing them from being displaced.

Electrical connection is providedbetween the cord 5 and the cord 6, and the two reels, through the use of two annular conductors or rings IB and I1, one annular conductor being attached'to each of the inner or adjoining, exterior faces of the reels, and these rings are electrically connected at I8 to their respective terminals I2 and I3. Eachreel also has a brush as I9 and 20 mounted thereon to contact with the annular conductor on an adjoining reel, and these brushes are each mounted at the free end of a spring blade 2I that is fastened by a screw 22 to the inner face of the reel, and a connection. at-23 is made from a brush to a .terminal on the terminal block. The spring blades hold the brushes in contact at all times with the conductor rings, and

and dotted lines in Figure 2. vIn Figure 2 it will be noted that onebrush ismounted'on a blade located within the circle or circumference of the conductor rings and the other brush is mounted on a blade located outside of the circumference of the conductor rings.

In the wallfixture, or stationary extension device of Figures '6, 7, 8, and 9, the frame I5 is attached Aat'- the inner side of the wall W, andthe cords-5 'a'nd'B pass through slots S' in the outer faceplate 23'to the reels 1 and I0 that are mounted fon the shaft 8. The house wire to supply electrical current to the cords and to the appliances tdwhich the cords are connected, is connected to tieidevice at 24 and 25, and these terminal wires 24 and 25, are each connected to a brush as 26 and 21. These brushes 26 and 21 are located vat the exterior sides of the two reels, and the brushes Irictionally'and-electrically contact with conductor ring's-28 a r1cl'29.respec tively mountedron the exterior faces of the reels. In the diagrammatic showing of Figure 9, the two exterior conductor rings 28 and 29 are connected at 30 and 3| to the terminals I2 and I3 of the reels, and the reels are electrically connected to each other, and to their respective cords, as previously described.

The stationary extension device is rigidly attached, as by screws 32 to vthe'vvall plate W, and the reels automatically turn in opposite directions to re-wind the cords 5 and 6. cords 5 and 6 may be used singly tol supply current to an electrically operated appliance to which the cord is connected, or both of these cords vmay be'employed simultaneously to supply current to the appliances to which the cords are attached, and of course the cords may be extended or contracted at will.

In the portable extension device, .Where the housing H may readily be removed by withdrawing the screws I5a, theshaft is mounted in the frame so that the reels may readily be detached from the supporting frame, after the housing has been removed. To permit ready removal of the reels from their .supporting frame, the shaft which is tubular, has its ends journaled in bearings I4 of the frame members I5, and near these ends are -arranged fpairsgof diametrically arranged holes A33 for the reception of cotter pins' 30 the combination withV a pair of spaced oppositely rotatable, spring-wound, opposed reels each hav-- ing a conductor ring, of a spring blade mounted on each reel, and a brush mounted on each blade and each brush frictionally engaging the conductor ring on the opposite reel.

the ring of the other reel, a second spring-blade` having its inner end xed to said other reel out-V side the periphery of said rings, and a brush'on the second blade engaging the ring on the iirstl reel. f

- .JOHN W. JoHNsoN.

One of the 

